In his recently published editorial for the Annals of Family Medicine, Dr. Steven H. Woolf (Director Emeritus of the Center on Society and Health) discusses several means through which to improve population health, stressing the importance of addressing root causes through cross-sector collaborations.

He pays particular attention to the role that health care systems can play, outlining several levels of health systems’ involvement in addressing social needs: from systems that assess social needs, to those helping to connect patients with assistance, and even to systems that support community initiatives to improve social conditions.

Dr. Woolf acknowledges the importance that factors outside of health have in population health, but argues that health care systems remain vital to shaping community health and well-being.  As he writes in the editorial, “health are systems cannot solve society’s problems, but they can do their part.”

To read the full editorial and to read or post commentaries in response, visit http://www.AnnFamMed.org/content/17/3/196. You can also download a copy of the article here.